Breaking pledge, Bahrain bars free expression mission

Reneging on a promise made just weeks earlier, Bahraini
authorities have denied visas to representatives of several free expression
organizations who planned to travel to the kingdom next week to assess press
and free speech conditions. CPJ is among
several organizations that have signed a joint
letter to Bahrain's director of human rights organizations condemning
the action.

The free-expression delegation--affiliated with the
International Freedom of Expression Exchange--was to include representatives
from the Committee to Protect Journalists, Freedom House, the Gulf Centre for
Human Rights, Index on Censorship, PEN International, and Reporters Without
Borders. Freelance journalist Clare Morgana Gillis was also to have
participated.

On April 11, Bahrain's Ministry of Human Rights and Social
Development granted the group permission to conduct a mission assessing
freedom of expression in the country. CPJ had also received a letter from the ministry
in January inviting our organization to visit the kingdom.

On April 30, just days before our planned departure, the ministry reversed its
decision, claiming that new guidelines allowed only one organization per week
to visit the country, thus precluding the group from going forward.

Over the past year, Bahrain has made a habit of denying
visas to international journalists, human rights defenders, and observers--most
recently to reporters seeking to cover the restive political backdrop to last
month's Formula
One Grand Prix motor racing event.

Domestic repression has been severe. CPJ research shows that
in the past year, independent and opposition journalists in Bahrain have
endured the worst conditions since King al-Khalifa assumed the throne in 1999.
CPJ has documented three
journalist deaths, including a shooting
death last month; dozens of detentions; arbitrary deportations;
government-sponsored billboards and advertisements smearing journalists; and
numerous physical assaults.

Despite its ongoing efforts to silence independent observers,
the government has publicly asserted an interest in openness. On May 2, in an
address marking World Press Freedom Day, King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa lauded the blossoming of a
free media, human rights, and reforms in Bahrain. He made a point of saying foreign
media distorts news coverage of events in the Kingdom.

CPJ Middle East and North Africa Research Associate Dahlia El Zein, a Lebanese native who grew up in Cairo, received her master’s degree in Arab studies from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. She speaks Arabic fluently and has traveled widely in the Middle East.

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IAA withdraws NGO visas
Posted on : 2012-05-04
The government yesterday withdrew its visa approval for a human rights organisation that was supposed to visit Bahrain next week.
An official spokesperson at the Information Affairs Authority (IAA) said that the move was subsequent to the NGO - Freedom House, which had applied and obtained a visa to enter Bahrain earlier, demanded permission for six other NGOs to accompany them.
“The NGO had taken an approval from the Human Rights and Social Development Ministry for its team after defining their purpose of visit. However, the remaining six did not go through the process,” said the spokesperson.
Moreover, in such a short notice, the ministry was not prepared to accommodate such a big team.
Human Rights Watch Society (BHRWS) Secretary General Faisal Fulad said this was ‘not a welcome move’.
“Authorities should think of a new strategy – a policy of more fairness and openness, especially when Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa is travelling to boost Bahraini economic ties with other countries,” said Mr Fulad. “If we close doors to NGOs, we are dampening the efforts of Prince Salman, while we should be fearless and have an open door policy.”
Bahrain houses various embassies, international and local media and entertains people on social media and bloggers, unlike many other countries, he said.
Mr Fulad pointed out that the world is like a small village today, where nothing can be hidden and a better cooperation with the NGOs will only help the country, whereas the contrary could prove to be messy.
Recent incidents like denying entry to the EU parliamentarian and Channel 4 TV will not be good for Bahrain, he said pointing out how the episode of allowing BBC to interview Abhdulhadi Al Khawajah helped prove many speculations wrong.
Bahrain proved to the world through BBC that Mr Al Khawaja was fine and he was being treated in the best way possible, he explained.